Monday, January 24, 2011

styling class: week 2, post 2

For a second part of our assignment this week, we are supposed to find 3 style photos that we love and analyze them using the many approaches we were taught in class.  I'm not sure exactly what approach I use in identifying style that I like and dislike, but I imagine it to be a combination of focusing in on an item or two that I absolutely adore and generally loving the way the subject styled it.  With a good sense of style, even the ugliest trash bag can turn out to be amazing.  Likewise, the most beautiful garment could look abominable if styled carelessly.  It's really hard to limit my favorite style photos to just 3 - but I imagine 100 would take much longer and I'll be failing the rest of my classes. :P

Exhibition A: Olivia Palermo
She's a ignorant bitch on The City, but I can't deny that she's one of the reality stars that actually deserves all the attention she gets for her sense of style coughLaurenConradcough.  She's got impeccable taste in jewelry and accessories and always manages to pull off looking both interesting and put together.  First though t that came to mind was: ohmygod, I have never seen a striped shirt look better.  Then it was: got to have that necklace...and that ring!  I think the key to this outfit, or at least what works for me, is the assembly of the neutrals.  She was careful not to be too matchy-matchy, and somehow the colors and tones offset each other perfectly.  Jealous.

Exhibition B: Girl on all the pretty birds
I'm really digging the whole schoolgirl look lately - but it also annoys me when someone comes off as looking too much like a school girl.  It's like, yes, the whole thigh high socks, pleated mini skirts, plaid print, etc. is all in style, but you couldn't think of a more creative way of putting it together?  Which is precisely why I adore this photo.  At first I thought, oh look, there's a 20-something trying to fit back into grade school ag...THOSE SHOES!  What are those amazing things on her feet?  And then I fell in love with the whole outfit - from the stuffy shirt and conservative skirt to the French Beret, to the interesting choice of green belt, to the oversized briefcase, and those shoes.  Oh, those shoes.   A great mix-and-match of girly and edgy, in my opinion.

Exhibition C: Park Shin Hye in April 2010 Vogue Girl Korea Magazine
I am really digging Korean fashion. They always manage to look cutesy yet effortless yet completely put together.  Jealous.  I can't get over how well her shorts match her shoes, her socks match her blazer, her bowtie matches her shirt cuff, and the bowl cut and the straw hat just manage to top it off as the cutest ensemble ever.  I like all the items individually, but when put together like this - it blows my mind.  If only I wouldn't get the weirdest looks if dressed like this in the States.

Exhibition D: Yoon Eun Hye
Oh, Yoon Eun Hye, why do you always make me jealous of you?  Anyone else would probably look ridiculous wearing those horizontal striped thigh high socks, but I want to be like you, lounging around in what looks like an effortless, whimsical style.  I can't help but to love how a couple of gold chains and bangles, and those what would normally be quite unflattering socks just magically complete the oversized gray t-shirt.  Note to self: Dress this adorably when lounging around in dorm room.

Exhibition E:  Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl (S04E01)
I've followed Gossip Girl since it's series premiere, and I have to say it has been a major influence on my style.  I started buying the cutest headbands because they looked so amazing on Blair, and when she ditched headbands for college, I chopped my hair into a Tao Okamoto bowl cut.  Some naysayers say that the costume designers overdo the styling sometimes, such as Serena's outfit above.  I think that's precisely what makes their outfits so appealing.  The metallic cage dress under a seemingly normal gray blazer and plain beige oxfords is totally my idea of dressing down fancy clothes.  Blair is also extremely well accessorized to match her adorable dress.  I usually can't pick out what I like about most Gossip Girl outfits, except that they're very aesthetically-pleasing when looking as a whole.

Exhibition F: Susie Bubble
Oh, Susie Bubble.  Sometimes you are way too wacky for me.  Wacky enough that I almost stopped really following you for a year.  And then I saw this outfit, and now I obsessively stalk your blog again.  Are those NOT the most amazing pair of cargo pants ever?  And leave it to you, Susie Bubble, to find the most interesting striped shirt and embroidered slippers to top it off.  This outfit screams casual, whimsical perfection. 

So that was a lot more than 3 photos.  Time to get back to stat homework.  Boo.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

styling class: week 2, post 1

This week's assignment comes in two parts - the first of which is to dress our body shape, as dictated by traditional fashion views in magazines such as Lucky and InStyle.  A while ago, I picked up Clinton Kelly and Stacy London's What Not to Wear book for fun - to see what is generally accepted as good style.  My body shape fit somewhere between "Petite and Curvy" and "Petite and Athletic".  I like to think of dressing myself in a less general way - based on what I know of my body, and what I like and dislike about it.
  • Having a 34C - 27 - 36 proportion puts me at a "not quite hourglass" shape.  If I wear shapeless tops, I most likely look 20 pounds heavier than I actually am, so I generally try to accentuate my waist when choosing outfits.  
  • I don't have the nicest legs, and would certainly love to work off a lot of the upper thigh fat I have, but I generally like my legs mid-thigh down.  They're pretty shapely and athletic looking, and I love wearing miniskirts and trouser shorts to show them off.
  • I love my feet.  I abuse them so much by wearing painful heels, but they really fit and look nice in any kind of shoe my size.  Expect to see many awesome-looking shoes. :)
  • I hate my flabby arms.  When it's not unbearably hot outside, I try to conceal them with a loose sleeve.  
  • Some girls might envy my bra size, but I much rather have Kate Moss's chest.  I can hardly wear anything revealing and delicate in the chest area (if I can even fit in them), and being rather conservative and not wanting to look like a hooker, it's rather hard playing down my chest while still wearing something flattering.  V-necks have become a very good friend of mine, especially since I have a rather short neck as well.
  • My butt and upper thighs area = where the extra pudge goes.  I hate wearing super tight pants and shorts for this reason.  Most magazines would suggest a dark wash pair of bootcut jeans to balance my proportions - but I hate denim and work pants.  I have so far tried skirts, trouser shorts, looser pants, and exercise. :)
With all of that said, I had my super stylish suitemate snap several photos of me dressed up in a typical uniform of mine with several modifications.
Pink Tie [sash from my sister's old skirt], Gray Dolman Sleeve Top [Charlotte Russe/$4.00], Blue Draped MiniSkirt [Papaya/$4.00], Black Studded Braided Belt [Wet Seal/$3.00], Polkadot Socks [gift from Eva, my suitemate], Kitten Heel Cutout Pumps [Target/$10.00]
In these photos, I put on my typical ensemble of tucking a shirt into a miniskirt and belting over the skirt.  Kind of boring when I think about how many times I've done this - I like to think I'm more creative than this.  While the socks don't help in making my legs look any longer (by chopping up the "sections" of my legs), I frankly don't care since I adore them. :)
How cute are these socks?!?  I've got many more pairs to showoff, especially this awesome pair of Betsey Johnson socks that I've received as a holiday present from Eva.

As a sidenote, my Rondelet outfit was quite flattering to the shape as I think about it.  It's a real pity I didn't get many good photos in it.  But you will see the shoes I wore again - they are totally awesome, if I say so myself. :)

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

styling class: week 1, post 2

I often find myself absolutely hating something one month and loving it the next and vice versa.  This habit of mine isn't too friendly to my wallet or my limited closet space.  Case in point: harem pants.  When I first saw them, I thought what are these drop-crotch monstrosities?  But over time, I started to appreciate them more and can actually say I like them - if worn right.
rebecca lien of fashion infusion
rosanna aranaz of lmdu
So with trends like these that are oh-so-popular one minute, a bit passe the next, and hideous a season later, I'm starting to ask myself what are some things that I'll like for a long time?  I'm sure I'll be working on this list for the next ten years, but for starters:

1. A-line and Circle Mini Skirts and Dresses
karla derass of karla's closet

For a 5'3" girl like me, mini skirts are almost a must-have to create the illusion of not having really short legs.  I love the A-line/circle shape because it creates nice curves/proportions without looking like a stripper. :P

2. Thigh-High Socks
jung so min

I just got into this trend, but I can't imagine parting with it anytime soon.  It's so playful, feminine, and subtle - almost everything I like in a piece of clothing/accessory.  I just wish I started wearing them sooner.

3. Heels, Heels - All Types of Heels
swallow print maryjanes by miumiu

For a girl that 95% of the time wants to be taller, heels are my best friend.  I own about 30 pairs of them but am constantly on the lookout for more.  Unless I magically become 5'11" one day, I'm pretty sure I'll be wearing these for the rest of my life.  Even then, I'd still rock them. ;)

Monday, January 17, 2011

styling class: week 1, post 1

For my last semester at Rice, I decided to enroll in a second fashion course my university was offering.  A large part of the semester's homework is to keep up this blog - to keep track of our personal style.  
Those that are well aware of my fashion obsession know that I started getting into the blogging world in the summer of 2009 with a personal style blog I shared with my equally fashion-addicted best friend, Jen - now abandoned at secondskins.  In high school, we used to talk every night and plan out outfits for the next day and probably spent half our lives searching for the perfect prom dress (that neither of us actually ended up finding).  She still keeps her highly successful style blog at jennifhsieh, which serves as a constant reminder for me to get back into the blogging myself as opposed to simply reading a shitload of blogs daily.  Luckily, I get to ease back into the blogging world with this class. :)
I find it incredibly admirable how fashion bloggers are able to take a picture of themselves daily looking absolutely flawless when more than half the time I'm with no makeup, strolling around in a Rice t-shirt and jeans (especially since I hate denim).  Because I like to hold my photos to the same standards, my outfit posts might be a bit sparse.  An example of what I like my photos to look like (taken spring 2010):
wearing: [beige&white boyfriend cardigan/ny&company ($10)], [white emboridered tank/wetseal ($5)], [silver skinny belt/f21 ($2)], [pink satin skirt/f21 ($7)], [metallic platforms/target ($7)]
Meanwhile, I'll be filling up this blog with my inspirations, things I'm lusting after, rants on style, etc.  Despite the occasional compliment on what I'm wearing, I'm still discovering what exactly my personal style is.  Sometimes it frustrates me that I can't put a label on myself - because I'm bit boho, a bit prep, a bit feminine, a bit sophisticated, a bit minimalist, etc. - but I guess that makes my style all the more "personal" and unique.  I like to believe that I have a carte blanche in the way I dress, although sometimes restricted by what's socially accepted.  Hopefully, over the course of this semester, I'll have enough confidence to possess a true carte blanche. :)